Five Questions With … Justin Tranter (SPW)

After a bit of a summer break … it’s time to hit the streets with another edition of Five Questions With …. featuring the charismatic frontman of Semi Precious Weapons Justin Tranter. I met Justin (and his adorable, lovable mom) at a Swig Tooth show in Asbury Park, New Jersey, in the summer of 2006. I remember asking him if he would mind if I photographed their show in Columbus later that summer. He said, “I was made for the camera.” He’s right.

Here is (significantly more than) Five Questions With … Justin Tranter

Check back later for Five Questions With Aaron Tasjan … singer/songwriter and guitarist for Semi Precious Weapons … and a native of New Albany, Ohio.

Red Wanting Blue “These Magnificent Miles”

The latest release from Columbus-based Red Wanting Blue, “These Magnificent Miles,” is like a visit from a old friend who brings along a friend of his you met once or twice before, you can’t quite recall. 

The old friend, of course, would be the four songs featured on their 2006 live CD/DVD  “The Warehouse Sessions” which featured our the recorded versions “You Are My Las Vegas,” “Where You Wanna Go,” “Finger In The Air” and “Space Time.”

The new guy is the other nine tracks on “These Magnificent Miles,” most of which have been played live in the two years since the release of” The Warehouse Sessions.” At first, it’s slightly strange, but after a few listens, you realize the new guy … he’s gonna be a friend for a long time, too.

Opening up with “Gravity” is a great way to go. I love when an CD takes you for a journey, right from the start.  The lyrics in this song show the range of Scott Terry’s gift of taking everything into the fold, painting a great set of images, and then letting you go off to visit. My favorite is the second verse:

“And I would vandalize outer space
Remake out constellations to spell our names
Like when we used to carve our names in the bark
Or write upon the windshield fog in the car
Sign autographs with sparklers in the dark
We’ll make graffiti out of stars.”

Great visuals, great lyrical structure, and the band behind him … just nails it.

While “Gravity” is the first outer-space themed song, it’s not the only. “The World Is Over” and “Space Time” also call out to the void, as does the bonus track at the end of “The Band” called “I Don’t Wanna Hear It.”  While it’s noticeable, it’s not overbearing.  In fact, “The World Is Over” briefly skims the topic in one of those upbeat “we’re all gonna die” songs with a great chorus that will have you singing along:

 ”So beat that drum
Til we run out all of the air in our lungs
And kiss goodbye to lovers that we’ve loved
We can’t take them with us
The world is over”

despite the fact we’re screwed by various ways we all could die, such as hurricanes, tidal waves, UFO’s and weapons of mass destruction.

As for the rest of the release, “Where You Wanna Go,” “The Air I Breathe,” “Probably Nothing” and “The Band” show Terry’s romantic side; “Red Ryder” and the bonus song (“Caveman” maybe?) his nostalgic; and “You Are My Las Vegas.” “New Cool,” “U.S. Bumper Sticker” and “The World Is Over” show the playfulness.

The more time I spend with this CD, the more I realize how the change in personnel has allowed a new sound to come out of Red Wanting Blue. Drummer Mark Stepro left to tour the world with Ben Kweller; and guitarist John Kengla to tour the five boroughs of New York. Eddie Davis and Eric Hall, Jr., respectively, bring a slightly smoother and noticeably different sound noticed most on “Finger In The Air” where the guitar parts are very smooth and add much to the lyrics.

“These Magnificent Miles” is a well-rounded collection highlighting the band’s maturity, growth and the fun they have playing their music. That’s obvious at any live show, but hard to capture, even on live albums.

Red Wanting Blue’s tour kicks off on August 28th … for tour dates visit them on Myspace.  They’ll be playing The Lazy Chameleon in Powell on Saturday, August 30^th.  

Track List for These Magnificent Miles (click to order direct from the band):

01 Gravity
02 You Are My Las Vegas
03 Where You Wanna Go
04 The World Is Over
05 Finger In The Air
06 Red Ryder
07 The Air I Breathe
08 New Cool
09 Probably Nothing
10 U.S. Bumper Sticker
11 Space Time
12 The Band
13 I Don’t Wanna Hear It

 

August Musical Ramblings

Red Wanting Blue’s new album, These Magnificent Miles, is available on this website, where you can also get a limited edition, signed poster with your order, while they last (only 500 total). The album was officially released on August 19th, I got a copy today and will have a full review posted after a few more listens.

The track list features quite a few of the songs they’ve been playing live (click here for photos) for the last year, including You Are My Las Vegas, Gravity, Where You Wanna Go, The World Is Over, Finger In The Air, Spacetime, U.S. Bumper Sticker and a few others you might recognize.
 Red Wanting Blue is playing the Lazy Chameleon in Powell on August 30th with Nate McDonough who’s been on my list of people to see for a while … so I’m looking forward to that.

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I rode to work the other day listening to 13th Star … the latest album by Fish, the former (and in my opinion, only) singer for Marillion. Upon my first listen back in June I said this would be one of my favorite albums of 2008 … so far, it still is. Dark Star is one of those great songs that will be in my playlist for a long time.

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Semi Precious Weapons is playing at BoMA on August 31st … that should be a fun night. They are re-releasing “We Love You” on September 30th, this time on Razor and Tie Records. The songs are the same as on their independent release (on Justin’s own Fetty label) of “We Love You” with new artwork, and radio-friendly edits of “Her Hair Is On Fire” and “Magnetic Baby” … here’s the new cover:

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Other things high on my iPod/iTunes playlist:

• The Milwaukees – American Anthems Vol. 1
• Green Day – American Idiot
• Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
• Guided By Voices – The Best Of
• The Clarks – Fast Moving Cars

What are you listening to?

5 Questions With … Colin Gawel

Colin Gawel is what rock and roll is about – fun. His stage presence is unmatched, he’s toured all over the country with his band Watershed, made eight albums with the group and has his music played on various shows on MTV, VH1 and other cable networks, and currently featured in the State of Ohio’s Tourism campaign called “The Best Is Yet To Come” … after the closing tune on 2005 Watershed album “The 5th of July.”  In the 5 questions we talk about The League Bowlers, Colin’s solo CD, how the mere mention of it made my camera fall over (that’s the joke he makes about making things crash) and upcoming plans for Watershed.

So … enjoy 5 Questions with … Colin Gawel

5 Questions with … Roy Davis

One of the things I love about the Internet is the amazing ability to find music, and for musicians to find fans.

Case in point – Roy Davis & The Dregs, from Portland, Maine. I got a friend request from them, a few weeks before their show in Columbus on July 21, at the Rumba. Sadly, not many saw the show. You missed a great performance by a great band.

I will readily admit not listening to their music until the day of the show, and it was only then I realized just how good these guys were. I had to go to the show.

And, Roy was nice enough to talk before the show … which is the first of a new series here on the new music blog called “5 Questions (more or less) With …”

So … with that in mind, here is 5 Questions (more or less) With … Roy Davis, where we discuss the tour, the impact of MySpace on music, and a Columbus legend – White Castle.  (Yeah, and dumbass me clearly says it was the Beastie Boys with “You Be Illin’” … DOH … that would be Run-D.M.C. … I am so losing points on the hip-hop street cred scoresheet.)

He was gracious enough to allow me to post an MP3 from his great CD “Deadweight” … which is easily on my top 10 so far for 2008.

Download: “Till The Night Is Gone”  • Visit: Roy Davis on MySpace

Semi Precious Weapons “We Love You”

It never fails …

I find a band I love … and then am blown away by a song they’ve not released yet. Then I can’t wait for the CD to come out so I can have that favorite track.

Like “The Great Gravitron Massacre” from Two Cow Garage

Then the CD comes out.

And there’s a song I like even better on the disc.

Like “Should’ve California.”

Well, it’s happened again.

The Band: Semi Precious Weapons

The Song: “Time Zones”

The CD: “We Love You” hits the shelves on October 30, 2007.

I’ve had “We Love You” for about a month now. Cause I got connetions. (Not really. I picked it up at their September show in Columbus. And I paid cash for it. And you should, too.)

And before I had the CD, I was so looking forward to the Tony Visconti produced version of “Time Zones” I was drooling. (Yeah, *that* Tony Visconti. The genius who produced amazing albums for David Bowie, T-Rex, Thin Lizzy, The Moody Blues. Adam Ant, and my 1989 Album of the Year, “Change” by the Alarm. Hello “Love Don’t Come Easy.” Yeah baby.)

Anyway … back to Semi Precous Weapons and the song I was waiting for … “Time Zones” … or, as I referred to it when talking to SPW frontman Justin Tranter, my “Song of the Year, whatever year it’s released.”

I now have to backdate that to be my “2006 Song of the Year.” Because, in my defense, I did get an MP3 of it late late late in 2006 (December 28 the email says) … cause I do have connections … so it has to be my 2006 Song of the Year.

Why? Well … as I said before …. I get the album and found a song that I like even better.

“Genius” (off the forthcoming “We Love You”) is my 2007 Song of the Year.

The vote’s not even close (Sorry David Ford’s “Train” … you get the silver medal. Thankfully Aaron Lee Tasjan’s CD won’t be out until 2008.)

Do I like this song? Um … yeah.

It’s one of those pound-the-steering-wheel power-ballads. I know this because I actually dented the Ford emblam in middle of my steering wheel pounding out the beat while driving down the highway rocking out to this song.

The song is dramatic (hello? It’s Justin!) … “They’re all gonna question my worth / but I’ve been a walking statement since birth” to give you a hint of lyrics … and the bridge … is .. well, genius:

“Sweet heart I’ll let you go
With bloody hands just say you know
We’re the love that legends live for
We’re the love that don’t exist no more”

And the chorus … again … show why the song is aptly named:

“Don’t tell ‘em I’m a genius
Don’t tell ‘em I mean it
Don’t tell ‘em how hard I try
Don’t tell ‘em I’m a genius
Don’t tell ‘em I mean it
Let me smile while they cry
They’ll love us when I die”

The other eight tracks on the CD are a mix of some old favorites from the first two EP’s (“The Precious EP” and the “The Magnetic EP” … both available on iTunes) and new songs that have been favorites at live shows like “Taste” and “Her Hair Is On Fire” and “That’s K***” … a happy little audience participation song about a sweet innocent girl named Holly.

Is is the best album I’ve purchased in 2007? It’s kunt.

’nuff said.

Buy this shit when it comes out. Good music and good musicians need paid.

What I’m Listening To

Since I’m bored and not all that interesting in writing here about anything that’s going in in my life … here’s what’s new in my heavy music rotation:

Semi Precious Weapons – We Love You.

Yeah, I know that kick-ass banner says it’s not out until October 30th. (Cause I made that kick-ass banner.) But I have the CD. I listen to it. A lot.

It fucking rocks.

It’s my favorite album of 2007.

Straight up serious. So how did I get it? Well, I know people. (And I paid for it.)

And believe me when I tell you this … if you’re not a fan, you should be.

Bullet Jones – The Bullet Jones EP.

Great American rock and roll. Period. And “The Ballad of Bullet Jones” is in my top 5
fall tunes in heavy rotation.

David Ford – Songs For The Road.

His debut album blew me away (and was my Album of the Year for 2006. The follow-up does NOT suffer from the typical sophomore slump. In fact, “Train,” “Songs For The Road,” “Requiem,” “St. Peter” and “Go To Hell” have been live tracks I’ve been digging on bootlegs for about a year. “St. Peter” and “Songs For The Road” were instant favs of mine when I saw him open for Gomez in May 2006.

Aaron Tasjan – Hard Love and Free Luck.

Again, not yet released, and not coming out until 2008, but hey, I know people.

Two Cow Garage – III

All I need to say about that was said here.

What are you listening to?